No Ordinary Place

The University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) opens an exhibition entitled, No Ordinary Place. The exhibition, which is open to the public, begins on Friday, May 31 and continues through Sunday, September 8.

Each of the four artists featured in the exhibition critically examine place by questioning and exploring connections to each other and our surroundings, according to Brooke Grucella, who curated the exhibit. “In their explorations, the artists, Colin Chillag, Carrie Marill, Matthew Moore and Kevin Cyr look at the personal bonds we maintain with the spaces we inhabit, often times without sincere reflection,” she said.

Colin Chillag scrutinizes the immediate geography that surrounds his home. He then creates paintings that represent his observations, incorporating fragments from his art-making process, such as his paint palette, sketches and notes, directly into the scenes. By doing so, Chilag allows the viewer to witness his entire creative process.

Carrie Marill’s points out commonalities within what are thought to be opposite states, such as nature versus built environments. In her series, Doing a Lot with Very Little, she renders plants, discovered in an online Japanese architectural book, translating them from virtual objects to physical drawings. The plants become symbols for the comforts of home.

Matthew Moore, who is both a farmer and an artist, has never seen the carrots his farm produces in the marketplace. His artwork encourages the consumer to gain knowledge of the production process, healthy living through education, and promotes community building through food.

Home is also the central character in Kevin Cyr’s art, however, home is often mobile, transitive and compartmentalized. Cyr’s “Little Tag Along” sculpture is a dwelling that needs no fixed foundation, but offers the comforts of homeownership without damaging the surrounding environment.